Neutralizing apparatus



Dec. 30, 1930. w. H. CHAPMAN NEUTRALIZING APPARAlUS Filed March 25, 1950 [Jewell $01 Ifilliambfflzqnm a l &

Patented Dec. 30, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT" OFFICE WILLIAM H.

. NEUTRALIZER COMPANY,

NEUTRALIZING APPARATUS Application filed'flarch 25, 1930. Serial No. 438,682.

In order to control the electro-static charges on moving sheets of paper or fabric in the course of its manufacture or printing, it has been customary to provide a discharge bar adjacent the moving sheets and to so connect such bar in an electric system as to neutralize the static electricity generated 'by the character of the initial electro-stat-ic 4 charge charge ,on terial.

In the case of the printing press with fly stick delivery, for example, the physical presence of the widely moving fly sticks frequently the sheets of paper or other mareference to' the sheets of paper or other material. Moreover, the sheets sometimes take on an additional charge due to some subsequent manipulation of the sheets, as for example, their passage o v.er the fly sticks, and

this additional charge introduces a further factor of complication.-

Together, all of these conditions contrib- I ute toward the difiiculty of leaving the paper neutral at, the point ofdelivery from the printing press or other machine.v At the same time, there are certain factors in the physical construction and arrangement of the discharge bar which are capable of improvement to the end that a more satisfactory and eflicient bar may be obtained. In particular, these relate to the mounting of the bar for adjustment relative to the paper whereby through such adjustment the character of the charge originally carried by the paper or any additional imparted thereto in some subsequent manipulation of the paper may be neutralized, and also to the construction and mounting of the discharge prevents the location of the dis bar at the most favorable point with points with which the bar is provided at a plurality of spaced intervals.

To the end, therefore, of improving and simplifying the construction and operation of such discharge apparatus so that a more efiicient and rel able apparatus may be provided, I have devised my present invention. According to it the discharge bar carrying the discharge points andthe ground bar are capable of both a pivotal and a rotative adjustment relative to the paper or other material and in addition the ground bar is capable of an independent adjustment relative to the discharge bar and discharge points. By reason of such adjustment, the apparatus may be adapted to meet any service condition.

In the, accompanying drawings I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention together with several ,modifications which are suggestive of the many departures which may e'made within the spirit and S00 e of my concept. In the drawings:

ig. l is an elevation, partly broken away, of a neutralizing apparatus in accordance with my general concept.

Figs. 2 and3. are cross sectional details on the lines 2-2 and 33 respectively, of Fig. 1', and

Figs. 4 and 5 aredetails illustrating modified methods of mounting the discharge points.

I have indicated at 1 any usual tierod on CHAPMAN, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, A SSIGNOR T0 CHAPMAN ELECTRIC OF PORTLAND, MAINE, A CORPORATION OF MAINE a printing press or other machine and at S the sheets of paper, fabric or other material which are to be neutralized as to any electrostatic charge which they may have or may ac ulre.

lamped as-at'2 to the tie rod 1, preferably adjacent each end thereof, is an arm 3. The arms. 3 at their opposite ends carry hinge clamps 4; adapted to be tightened or loosened as at 5 aboutthe neutralizer bar.

Such bar comprises an inner core or rod 6 of steel or any other-good conductoradapted to be electrically connected at one end as at 7 to an'y'suitable current source whereby a high tension charge of alternating current is passed into the rod, and at its opposite end insulated in any suitable manner, asb'y a dead is rotatively adjustable with end cap 8 .of hard rubber or other appropriate insulating material screwed on or otherwise mounted on the rod 6 as by means of the threaded stud 9.

The hinged. clamps 4 are insulated from the bar 6 by bushings B of any suitable insulating material, as wood. These bushings are split, as shown in Fig. 2, and intermediate of their ends are circumferentially grooved as indicated at B to receive soft rubber bands B which when the clamps 4 are opened rctain the bushings in place on the rod.

Sleeved about the conductor rod 6 is an insulating sheath in the form of a tube 10, Fig. 3, of rubber or the like encased in any suitable protective sheath, as the fibre tube 11. In assembling these elements, the rubber tube 10 is first coated with some substance which has the combined properties of lubricating the parts so as to permit the fibre tube 11 to be slid on over the rubber tube 10 and on drying and hardening acting as anadhesive to firmly hold the two tubes against relative movement. For such a coating I may conveniently use ordinary rubber cement which before drying acts as an effective lubricant but on drying firmly binds the tubes together.

Suspended from the discharge bar 6 is a metal ground bar 12 by means of which the charge on the paper transmitted to said ground bar through the ionized atmosphere surrounding the discharge bar 6 may be conveyed to ground as at 12 The ground bar reference to the such adjustment being independent of the adjustment of the bars 6 and 12 as a unit permitted by the hinge clamps 4, the ground bar 12 for the purpose of this independent adjustment being suspended from the discharge bar6 by special clamps 13 which permit and hold such adjustment.

These clamps are detailed in Fig. 3, and are of suitable insulating material, as fibre. Each comprises a pair of jaws 13 clamped to discharge bar,

l gether intermediate of their ends by a screw or the like as at 14 and shaped at their upper ends to define a recess of proper diameter to receive the discharge bar 6 and at their lower ends a similar recess to receive the round bar 12. The jaw fastenings 14 may e conveniently provided with wing nuts, if desired, to facilitate adjustment of thejaws.

Suspended from the discharge bar at spaced intervals therealong is a plurality of discharge points. These may be mounted in any suitable manner on the discharge bar. A preferred method of mounting is detailed in Fig. 3 wherein it will be noted that I place over the outermost tube 11 a plurality of loosely fitting sleeves 15 of fibre or other suitable insulating material each of which is tapped and threaded as at 16 detachably to receive a plug 17 Within which is anchored one end of a helix 18 of spring wire or the like. Such helix projects downwardly beapparatus within the same, the arrow R in said figure; and an indepen yond the plug and terminates ina discharge point 19 adapted to radiate the alternating charge onto the surface of the paper sheets S. This construction permits ready removal of a discharge point for purposes of replacement or renewal when desired.

In the modification of Fig. 4, the insulating sleeve 20 which fits over the tube 11 is tapped and 'threaded to receive an attaching screw 21 of hard rubber or the like. Interiorly, the sleeve 20 is circumferentially grooved as at 22 to receive segmental plates 23 of met al or other conductive material which are apertured to receive the discharge points 18. The inner ends of said discharge points are headed to' prevent them from dropping through the. apertures in the sleeve 20.

WVhile preferable for some installations, this type of discharge point retiuires that the sleeve 20 be removed endwise rom the tube 11 in order to permit replacement of a discharge point.

As a further alternative method of mounting the discharge points on the bar 6, I may use the construction shown in Fig. 5, wherein the fibre sleeve 15 is tapped and threaded to receive'a plug 24 of hard rubber or the like within which the discharge points 18 are mounted. Set against the upper end of each discharge point is a copper or other conductive disc 25 which transmits the charge induced by alternating charge in the bar 6 to the discharge point.

From'the foregoing, it will be seen that I provide for a threeway adjustment of the discharge apparatus with reference to the plane of the paper S, viz., an adjustment towards and awa from the paper, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3, accomplished by swinging the apparatus asa unit about the tie rod 1 as an axis; a rotative adjustment of the apparatus as a unit accomplished by loosening the clamps 4 and rotating the entire as indicated b ent arcual adjustment of the ground bar 12 relative to the discharge bar 6 accomplished by loosening the clamps 13 and rotating the ground bar with the same, arrow A in said figure.

These adjustments enable me to accommodate the'apparatus to an particular set of conditions, whether caused by some structural feature .of the printing press or other machine to which the apparatus is applied, or to some peculiar condition of charge of the moving sheets S. j

Various other modifications in the construct1on and operation of my device may obviously be resorted to, all without departing from the spirit of my invention if within the scope of the appended claims.

What I therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In apparatus for neutralizing the static as indicated by the I electricity of a moving sheet, a fixed support, 4 a discharge. bar clamped to said support, and

a ground bar. clamped to said discharge bar, and a plurality of discharge points suspended from said discharge bar, the clamp connection of the discharge barwith said support permitting the discharge bar and with it the ground bar and discharge points to be rotatively adjusted as a unit relative to the sheet, and the clamp connection of the ground 1 bar with the discharge bar permitting said ground bar to be rotatively adjusted independently'of said discharge bar and discharge points.

2. Apparatus for neutralizing the static electricity on a moving sheet, comprisin a discharge bar, an insulatin sleeve on said fiar having a socket, a plug 0 conductive material in said socket, and a discharge point in said plug.

In testimony whereof I afiix mysi nature.

WILLIAM HENRY CHAP N. 

